Nisekoi: Chasedown
by Coldblizzard25
Summary: After a shootout in the streets of New York, authorities learned that the Yakuza and the Bee-hive gang are to face with a threat from another gang. In the midst of stopping the gang-related chaos, an officer is sent in. Follow Taylor Miles, an NYPD Detective, as he is sent to Tokyo undercover, moving in to investigate the motives, or survive a handful of antics along the way.
1. Prologue: Patrol Duty

**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own anything from the series. All rights for the series "Nisekoi" belong to their respective creators. Any form or counterparts that are encountered in real life is Coincidential and Unintentional.**

* * *

**-1:00 AM, Brooklyn, New York City, POV: 1****st**** Person-**

Same old shift, same old days and nights, in the same old trusty squad car in the streets of good old New York City, Yep… the city that never sleeps. All right. It was a usual case of patrol duty that we were assigned to respond in the streets of Brooklyn…

"Hey Taylor, you okay?" Eddie, my partner-in-crime, asked.

"Christ, I need another drink." I grunted, complaining about how exhausted I am.

"I had nine cans of Red Bull before starting this shift. It's amazing how I'm still kicking." Eddie snickered.

"I need another Americano, pronto." I groaned.

"You've had like twelve!" Eddie exclaimed as he bopped my head. What? I'm a goddamn caffeine junkie!

"One more, man! Just one more cup!" I said.

My partner muttered as he kept his hands behind the wheel. "Coffee addict… Y'know It's amazing, despite the lack of sleep, you still kept on looking good. At a young age too. Tell me, you always have a lot of girls in your bed every night?" He asked.

"I'm no Casanova, man. I don't do that stuff." I answered.

"Pfft. Yeah, right." Eddie scoffed. I gave him the middle finger.

"Screw you, Eddie. Scoff all ya want, I don't swing that way." I said.

"Hey, I gotta ask. What goes on with your love life?" He asked.

I hated telling these kind of things. Well… He's my best friend and besides being the jackass he is, He's not the kind that will stab you in the back. We were at the same age when we graduated from the academy.

"Not even finding my first love yet."

"What? No! An honest guy like you?! No first love?! Impossible! You're a nice guy, who have some principles, you have a steady Job here in the Police! How come there's not even a single lady that has interest in you?!" He exclaimed.

"Don't know… Don't even care. Even if I had that first love, I told you one of my principles." I said.

"Yeah, yeah. Loyal to one girl. I'm surprised Chivalry isn't dead, but you? Not surprised at all." Eddie sighed.

"I'm gonna even be more surprised if I'm the only guy that has Chivalry written all over." I muttered.

We chuckled after I gave that. We became silent for half an hour during our patrol.

"Hey Eddie. I got a Fifty here… That we'll put up with a shoot-out in the rest of the shift. Just one Shoot-out." I said, pulling out a couple of dollar bills.

"Again with the bets?" Eddie groaned.

"Wussing out? Not only fifty bucks, loser buys lunch for a week." I added. I rarely had this tendency to bet. Funny, I never gamble.

Eddie looked really convinced. "You're on, Miles. We've got seven hours left on our shift. You better save up some money for the week." He dared.

"I would say it to you otherwise." I scoffed.

"Pfft. Jackass."

"Yeah, Bite me."

* * *

**-4:00 AM, Brooklyn, New York City-**

We stopped near an apartment complex for almost an hour. I grabbed a couple cups of coffee, and a couple slices of pizza down to the nearest shop. Two slices for a Buck-Ninety nine. Who knew.

I rode shotgun again to see my partner snoring like hell.

"Wake up, you deadbeat." I tapped on his arm. The last thing I want to do to Eddie was to slap the sleep out of him. He kept snoring.

"Eddie? Hey! Earth to Jackass!" I yelled as try to shook him awake. He was asleep, all right.

"All right, you asked for it."

_***WHACK***_

"Ow! I'm up! I'm up!" Eddie yelled as he was rudely awakened. A red handprint was forming on his cheek.

"Man, screw you for slapping me in the face!" He exclaimed as he gave me a jab to my right arm.

"You're lucky I didn't use the Taser! Otherwise you'd be pissing yourself while shaking like hell!" I yelled back as I bopped him in the head.

"Still, screw you for slapping my damn face." Eddie muttered.

"Get your ass out of the driver's seat. I'm driving." I said as I opened the car door and approached the other side of the car.

Eddie shrugged. "Fine. What time is it?"

"Four in the morning." I answered as I checked my watch.

"God, I need a bite." Eddie muttered. I placed the paper bag that held the two slices of pizza on the dashboard, and gave the other cup of coffee to Eddie.

"Latte and A slice of Pepperoni? Not bad, Taylor." Eddie said as he savored the scent of the two.

"I just had the feeling I'm gonna lose. Might as well get a head start." I said, having the feeling of defeat.

"Dude, Our shift doesn't end for another four hours. Besides, I need an early breakfast." Eddie said. "By the way, you're gonna have a heart attack from having your thirteenth coffee." He warned.

"So says the guy who chugged nine cans of Red Bull." I reminded.

"Four more hours, Taylor. We'll see who treats lunch." Eddie said before we enjoyed our meager breakfast. As time burns slowly, so did my chance of winning the bet… or so I thought… Dispatch called in a few minutes later.

"_All nearby units, we have a 10-10 northeast of Brooklyn. I repeat, we have a 10-10 northeast of Brooklyn district."_

"10-4, Dispatch, we're on our way." I reported.

"Damn it!" Eddie groaned.

"Haha, YES! FIFTY BUCKS AND A WEEK'S WORTH OF FREE LUNCH!" I cheered while Eddie groaned in defeat.

"That's coming out of my allowance." He sighed.

"YEE-HA! LET'S RIDE!" I yelled as I floored the car to the crime scene.

* * *

**-4:15 AM, Northeast Brooklyn-**

I stopped a few meters off the scene where Dispatch reported. We got out of the car. It was awfully quiet. Too quiet.

"Something ain't right about this, Eddie. Ready your gun." I whispered. He pulled out a Glock 19 while I pulled out my trusty SIG P226. We approached the alleyway.

"Taylor, body. Few meters." Eddie said as he spotted a wounded man sitting. We dashed to the man. He wore a blue suit over a white button-up. He had tattoos.

"Yakuza. And a messed-up one too." I said. I tried to get his attention. "Hey! What the hell happened?" I asked.

"Triads… They were all over the place… got a bone to pick with each other." He muttered before coughing up blood.

"Hey… Hey! Where are they?!" I asked, but he's already gone. The last thing I did was to close his eyes.

"He ain't packing where he's going." Eddie said. We were alarmed as we heard gunshots not far from here. I reported to HQ…

"Dispatch, requesting a 10-45, Four sergeants, Twenty officers. And Confirming that 10-10, Make it a 10-39, Shootout on northeast of Brooklyn, Shots fired. I repeat. Shots fired on Northeast of Brooklyn."

"_10-4, Miles. Alerting all nearby units now."_

We readied our guns as we rushed to the scene, only to meet up, guns pointed at a few armed triads and yakuzas. They were armed with SMGs and Assault rifles.

"NYPD! Hands in the Air!"

We were answered by gunfire. I guess there's no other choice to reason with them. We fired back, making the triads drop down, leaving two yakuza members to drop their guns.

"We're dropping it! We're dropping it!" The yakuza exclaimed as he dropped the MP5. We used a couple of zip-ties to restrain them.

"Two suspects arrested, and ready for pick-up." I reported.

"_Copy that, Miles. We're coming now."_ An officer responded. I turned around to see a couple of officers rushing in the alleyway.

"Taylor! Eddie! We got it from here. Push through." One of them said. We nodded and pushed onward as the gunfire kept getting louder, until they reached the end of the alleyway, only to see a few members of the yakuza, fleeing the area.

"HEY! NYPD! Don't even move a damn muscle!" I yelled at gunpoint, leaving a couple of yakuza members to kneel with hands over their head.

"Damn Cops…" One of the yakuza muttered.

"Yeah, yeah… Damn us and the rest of the boys in blue. You and your gang issues." Eddie shrugged as we restrained the two.

"Now get down on the ground!" I yelled. They dropped face-first. Bullets whizzed at us from the triads. We took the nearest cover. I reloaded my gun hastily as I was deeply grazed by the left arm, but my eyes widened as I heard my partner scream.

"EDDIE!"

I saw him holding his thigh as blood was flowing out. "Sons of Bitches got me, man! Aaaah, it stings like hell!" He yelled.

"Stay low! I'll get them!" I said as I vaulted from cover to spot three triad members, firing their guns at us.

I felt the adrenaline surge through my veins… My pupils dilate… Bullets whiz… Everything seemed slower. The two I have no problem of nailing down, but the triad at the center had a different uniform… A triad lieutenant.

I pulled out my P226 and aimed for the three. The two were disabled by bullets piercing the shoulders and hands that held their guns. The lieutenant fired his last clip back before trying to flee, turning it to a chase. A few meters later, I shot his leg and dashed in to pin him down. But the next part I didn't expect.

I felt a foot slam my jaw. Crap, this punk's a brawler. I removed the bullets of my P226 and put up my fists for a fight. He lunges at me with a Superman Punch. I dodged it and answered back with a 360-degree kick to the temple. After a minute's worth of exchanging punches, he responds with a knee to my gut, making me flinch. As I felt his hands on my shoulders, I punched him away and delivered a one-two combo to his head.

The coup-de-grace was Trejo's Blazin' Move: Re-adjustment, knocking him out. (Def Jam: Fight For New York players will get this.)

"That's for shooting us, you jackass! Now turn your sorry ass over and kiss the floor!" I said as I kicked him over to restrain him.

"Lucky bastards… I'm surprised you still have the skills." The lieutenant muttered as he felt the cold steel of handcuffs around his wrists.

"Shut up."

"Dispatch, I got a triad lieutenant under custody here, and send a damn ambulance! I got an officer down!" I yelled at the radio.

"_Copy, 1 minute."_

They better hurry up… I told the lieutenant to stay there, or else I will shoot his legs again. I rushed back to Eddie. Like hell he's gonna die without paying.

"Eddie?! Eddie! Don't die on me, man! FORGET THE FREE LUNCH, YOU OWE ME FIFTY BUCKS, YOU DICK!" I yelled. No response.

"I'll take your PS4 if you die, man." I said. I felt a punch land on my face.

"Don't even **THINK** about it." Eddie said as he gave the middle finger.

"Hey, what do you know! You're still alive! I guess you can keep the PS4!" I exclaimed.

"Screw you, Taylor… It's a flesh wound." Eddie muttered as he assured.

"It's a bad one, though… Come on, we're gonna get that patched up." I said as I helped the incoming paramedics carry him to the ambulance.

* * *

**-9:00 AM, 99****th**** Precinct, Standard POV-**

Taylor was sitting at the bench near the interrogation rooms when two NYPD Officers approached him.

"Excuse me, Detective Taylor Miles?" One of the officers called him.

"Yeah?"

"Captain wants to see you."

Taylor was startled back. "What? Am I in trouble or something?" He asked.

"Don't know, man. Captain just want us to tell you to get your keister over there. You'd best find out yourself." The other officer answered.

"Good luck there, man. I don't care what they say. You guys were heroes out there." The first officer assured, commending on Taylor and Eddie's actions.

"By the way, How is he?" He asked.

"He'll live."

Taylor wasted no time to go to the captain's office.

* * *

**-9:05 AM, Captain's office-**

"_Capt. Charles Brooke… Guy's in his 30s, not too loose yet not too strict. Almost every cop in the precinct acts like his best friend, which is nice though…" _Taylor thought as he entered the office.

"You wanted to see me, captain?" Taylor asked, startling the captain.

"GAH! Jesus, Taylor! Didn't your mother tell you to knock?!" He asked.

"Sorry, man. I did knock, apparently no one answered."

"Yeah yeah… Sit down." Brooke offered him a seat.

"Am I in trouble or something?" Taylor asked, somewhat uneasy while being in the hot-seat.

Capt. Brooke looked at him and shook his head. "No, No… It's about that arrest you made this early morning. Chill out, man." He assured.

Taylor gave a sigh of relief before getting his head back in the case. "So, he squealed?"

"Like the punk he is…" Brooke said as they let out a chuckle.

"So what did he spill?" Taylor asked.

"He was yapping about two rival gangs having a bone to pick with them." Brooke started as he placed a case file on the table.

Taylor had a sense of presumption. "And the yakuza was one of them."

"You know the Yakuza and the Triads' businesses; Guns, Drugs, and Underground brawls. There's another thing that he spilled out though." Brooke said.

"What's that?"

"He said something about… some guy named Ichijou Raku, and some girl named Chitoge Kirisaki… or something like that." Brooke added.

"Can I see the rest?"

The captain did as he asked. "Heh… Might be a reason. Triads' got a few beefs with them yakuza and… The Bee Hive Gang." He said, as he reads a couple of documents, some in Japanese.

Brooke's eyes slightly widened. "Bee Hive Gang, huh? Haven't put up with them for six years." He smirked.

"Sounds like you got a history there, huh?"

"Pretty much. Bringing the heat onto those punks got the old engine running. After one fight, they fled to Japan." Brooke said, reminiscing his glory days in the force.

"So, you think that the Triads will fly over to Japan just to settle scores with these gangs?" Taylor assumed.

Brooke nodded. "Possible, but since I'm captain of the Precinct now, I can't bring the heat to them without someone taking charge of the precinct. Hell, papers have already piled up on me since I took charge." He sighed.

"After pulling a couple of strings, I've talked to the Police Commissioner in Tokyo. He said that he'll need a couple of our officers to go to Tokyo for undercover and to link up with the Local Police." He added.

"I'll do it." Having the sense of duty strike him, Taylor volunteered to take the case.

"What? Miles, you're only one! Your partner was shot down on your recent case, how are you supposed to take this on?!" Brooke exclaimed.

"Shouldn't a public servant be judged and commended by his actions and not only by rank?" Taylor reasoned.

Brooke sighed as his mind sinks in to Taylor's logic. He took out another folder that held Taylor's performance records and dossier.

"Well… You have a good background… No civilian complaints, always had the presence of mind to follow police procedures… Taylor, I don't mind commending you for your services and sense of duty, but personally, I really don't get how the gears in your head work. One moment you act like a jackass of a neurotic comedian, the next thing… well… you give out logical reasons like this and you're a hell of a serious mind too."

"Words, man! Words!" Taylor exclaimed.

"Like that one! Look, that aside, I'm having doubts on giving you this case. I mean… I know that you have a background in participating in underground fights before joining the force." Brooke added.

"If that's your train of thought, then I'm assuring you that I can do this. Though I may have cleaned up my act, but I'm not afraid to take these punks on." Taylor said.

Brooke hesitated for a few minutes, then sighed as he pulls something out from the table drawer. "Fine. You see this? If you can prove it to me that you can nail these punks to the wall, it's yours. I'm pretty sure that you'd like to go back to field work." He said as he pulls out another badge. It was a gold shield.

"Charles, are you serious?!" Taylor exclaimed as he was given a challenge to earn a sergeant's badge.

"I thought a public servant should be judged and commended by actions and not only by rank." Brooke said.

"Well played, Cap. Fine. I could use some work outside of NY." Taylor smirked.

"Then pack your things. You're going to Japan."


	2. Settling In

**-1:00 PM, Airport, Tokyo, Japan. Standard time, 2 days later-**

"_Well… This is it… Tokyo, Japan. It's a good sight in person, I'll have to admit that." _Taylor thought as he exits the airport.

He grabs a pair of locker keys from his pocket with a note attached to it.

"_Third lane on the far left—Locker room."_

He followed the directions where from; third lane on the far left. As he entered the locker room, he opened the locker with his name on it. Inside were a pair of keys and a large amount of pocket money.

"Ohhh… you and I are so gonna go in places… Hey, what's this?"

He picked up a small envelope that held his license and an address on where will he staying.

"Central apartments… seems like a good neighborhood. Well, I guess it's time to take the bus."

Taylor Miles. 23 Years old. An undercover cop from the New York Police Department, 99th Precinct in Brooklyn, New York City. Caucasian, 5'8" and complexion's lightly tanned, lean yet a trained figure. He had short, dark-brown hair that went well with his good looks.

Like his captain said, He has a complex personality, but an overall nice guy. One moment he acts like a Neurotic comedian, next thing, he's a serious mind. But according to Captain Brooke himself, asides from his personality he's one of the best cops on the force.

* * *

**-1:30 PM, City streets, Taylor's POV-**

Man… Look at the places I have to go! Sushi joints, anime havens, I'm gonna die happy if this keeps up! I'm just gonna enjoy the view 'til I get to Central Apts. But then again I might be being watched because I'm sent here for a reason. But man... Look at the beauty of this place! I felt my phone buzzing from my pocket.

"_You're here on duty, Miles. Don't mess up._

_-Brooke"_

Damn it, cap. Can't a guy enjoy some scenes? What a hoser. I guess I can say that _Technically,_ I'm being watched. But come on! They're in _**New York,**_ and I'm in _**Tokyo! **_So I can call it a win-win? Meh… I'm just gonna enjoy the view.

Man… Eddie's gonna be so damn jealous when he gets wind of this…

* * *

**-3 Hours Later-**

"Wha? All right, who woke me up?"

Wait a minute. Am I here already? Not so sure… I'm gonna check it out.

"Hey, buddy. Is this near Central Apartments?" I asked in Japanese. Thank God for those Japanese Language classes. They really paid off.

"This _**IS **_Central Apartments. We just got here, man." He answered. With that I paid the fare plus tip, grabbed my bags and get the heck out of the bus.

* * *

**-3:30 PM, Unit 44-Taylor's Apartment-**

I opened the door… well… I have to admit, It's not much, but it's really cozy for a simple two-story apartment. Living room's got a cozy couch and a flat-screen TV. Hell, the entertainment section's pretty nice. I cleared up some space for my game console.

The kitchen's wide enough to slice and dice whatever's on my menu. Funny, the cabinets are usually empty, but no. It's filled with food to last me for a few months. There's a mini-bar too. Though I'm no liquor guzzler, but I could use making some margaritas from time to time.

"This unit's not reserved for me, is it?" I asked myself, knowing that there's only one way to find out. I mean… The gun and pocket money's reasonable… but the apartment? No. Captain Brooke didn't do this… Did he?

I went upstairs to find two rooms; a guest room, and a bedroom. The bedroom's pretty chilly because of the AC unit. There's the usual desk and bookshelves… On the desk I found a note.

"_I have some friends there in Tokyo. Helped me get this house to you. By the way, Ol' Reliable's in your closet._

_-Brooke"_

"No… No way, man…" Sure I've done a good job since the day I joined the force, but… This is a tad bit too much. No, Scratch that. _**WAY **_too much. I opened the cabinet to see my gear, concealable body armor and some spare trauma plates, my trusty SIG P226, with a decent supply of ammo.

Yeah… This was _**WAY**_ too much. I can't accept this. But knowing the captain, he'd insist. Normally a Cop from New York like me shouldn't be here. But the criminals from our city were linked and they had a bone to pick with a couple of gangs from Japan.

Good God, this is like Rush Hour…

I checked the answering machine if there's any messages. Surprise, surprise. It was the Captain himself.

"_I forgot to mention a few things, Taylor. You're going to school…"_

That part I was frustrated. "What?! I didn't come to Japan to go to school! I'm on duty here, Man!"

"_I knew you're gonna complain. But anyway, there were presence of gang members at that school. So you'll be going in as a student."_

Well… That was downright disturbing.

"_There'll be a sea of cute girls. I know you… You may not have a first love, but you're a sap for cute girls!"_

Damn… I guess that's what I get for opening up my "love life". Yeah, as if I have one. But since he mentioned "Cute girls," Maybe I'll give it a shot. Well… School's already started, maybe I can catch up?

I just hope that this… Ichijou Raku and Chitoge Kirisaki are big-shots… I think I'm gonna take a walk.

* * *

**-5:45 PM, Streets-**

Just a walk around town and a cup of Americano usually makes me feel all right. The district I was in was pretty nice and so were the locals.

I've introduced myself as a foreign student to the locals and talked, though they warned me about the local gangs here, but that doesn't really alarm me much. I mean… I've been into some scraps back in my time back in New York, so it really wasn't new for me.

As I reached the front gate of my apartment building after an afternoon walk, there was a notebook in front of my gate. I don't know why but it was just there. Looks like someone dropped it or it fell out of the poor fellow's bag.

"Somebody lost this? Anyone?" I asked. I picked it up and asked almost all the neighbors. No dice, none of them owns the notebook. I opened to check if there was an ID inside. Lucky guess. There was one…

"Onodera Kosaki…"

On the downside, no picture, not even the place where this kid studies. Bah… I'll keep this until I find the owner. I hope.

* * *

**-7:00 PM, Taylor's Bedroom-**

Great… Nothing says welcome than a good night's rest after shower. Man… Am I really gonna act as a student there? I'm 23 years old, what am I gonna do? Tell them I'm 18? What if they weren't convinced because of my look?

…Nah, I'll just tell them it's a growth spurt. That's it… I think I'm gonna shave tomorrow morning.

The next day…

* * *

**-6:20 AM, Kitchen, Day 1-**

Okay, sweet and sour chicken's cookin' on the stove, I've taken a shower… now for the uniform, it was a standard Japanese schoolboy's uniform; black jacket over a white button-up, black pants and shoes. As I wore one for my first day, I gotta admit, the open jacket's really nice and suits my style. Heck, the jacket's large enough for concealed carry. Well… I can't play God on my first day now can I?

The concealed vest was pretty incognito as it was covered with a white shirt. Badge was well-hidden under my jacket.

After several minutes, I smelled the tangy scent of the sweet and sour sauce as it covers the cooked meat before putting it in a lunch box. A scoop of rice to go with it and I'm done packing food for later. After grabbing a toasted slice of bread with jam and washed it down with the warmth of espresso, I grabbed my piece and spare mags and hid it in my bag, and that kid's notebook before going out and locking the door of my apartment.

* * *

**-6:30 AM, Streets-**

"Good morning, Taylor-san!" A lady in her 20s called.

"Hi, Neighbor lady~!" I greeted. Any TV shows that ring a bell? Method and Red?

Anyway, that woman that I call as "Neighbor lady?" Her name's Kyoko. For a woman in her 20s, she's a catch. I just call her as "Neighbor Lady" just for… well… fun.

"Oh, you're in uniform! First day of school, huh?" She asked as she looked at me up and down, checking yours truly in uniform.

"Yeah, Miss Kyoko. I'm really nervous." I said, playing the part.

"Oh, don't be! Come on, you're a good-looking fellow, and a foreign transfer student! I'm sure you'll be fine." She assured.

"Boy, I can't wait…" I said as I chuckled nervously.

"Come on, you're gonna make a lot of friends with your good looks." She said, jokingly. Pfft. I don't believe in friends… maybe.

"And who knows… Maybe you'll find your love there." She said. Not really good at it.

"Uh-huh… Oh, Miss Kyoko, Do you know anyone named Onodera Kosaki?" I asked.

"Yeah, she's the daughter of the owner of the sweets shop, just a few blocks from here. I think the store was called "Japanese Sweets – Onodera" Why?" She asked. Wait… did she just say…

…daughter?

"Well… Her notebook was on my front gate yesterday." I said, going back to reality and grabbed the notebook from my bag.

"Oh, is that so? I think I saw her this morning! You better hurry, Taylor. I think you might catch her. To think that someone beautiful as Kosaki forgets her notebook." She answered. Somewhat I'm not convinced with the beautiful part.

"All right, thanks anyway." We said our goodbyes before taking the next street to school. I plugged in my earphones and had my MP3 player to the first song playing…

"_Revvin' up your engine_

_Listen to her howlin' roar_

_Metal under tension_

_Beggin' you to touch and go_

_Highway to the Danger Zone_

_Ride into the Danger Zone…"_

The theme song from Top Gun? Yeah! Kenny Loggins, for the win! I wore my aviators out of style and walked while feeling the wind blow against me.

* * *

**-6:45 AM, School-**

I took off my aviators and looked at the sights of high schoolers walking to class. As I walked towards the entrance, I noticed one student being waved at by some dudes from a limo.

What the heck? I've seen some snobby and spoiled acts from rich kids in limo, but damn! Okay… I better chill out. Remember, Taylor. You're a student to the other eyes…

Okay speaking of eyes, theirs are set on me… keep walking, ignore the dudes, no eye contact, just walk, man! Walk!

"Hey you!"

Oh god-freaking-damn it… So close! Don't look at them in the eye.

"You better stay away from our master, got it?!" He said.

"Yeah, man. Whatever." I said. Crap… not my convincing answer is it?

He forcefully turned me around and grabbed my collar. "What did you say, Punk?!"

I grabbed his wrists and twisted it so I could break free, he yelped in the process. "Damn, man! Go hostile again on me and I'll kick your sorry ass!" I threatened. Genius, Miles. Really genius.

Before things heat up, their so-called "Master" got wind of this and went towards us. "Will you leave the guy alone? He did nothing to you!" He yelled. In an instant they bowed in apology.

"We're so sorry, young master! It won't happen again!"

The young master turned his attention to me. "Hey, are you all right?" He asked.

"I'm fine, man." I assured.

"Listen, I'm sorry if these guys gave you any trouble." He said. Whoa… That's a start… Well, I think I understand.

"Water under the bridge, bro. I understand. Pfft. Bodyguards." I said. After he scolded his bodyguards, we went onwards to class, separate paths.

As I walked onwards, I felt something… or someone bumped at me. We both fell knees-first.

"Damn it, will you watch where you're—" I froze when I turned around and saw a girl. She was really cute when I saw her pick up her stuff. How should I describe her? Let's see…

Fair-skinned, brown hair that brushed to her left side, hazel-eyed…

"…going…" She looked up to me as she composed herself.

"I'm so sorry! Are you all right?" She asked. The tone in her voice was so… heavenly. I shook my head to snap back to reality.

"I-I'm fine, miss. I really didn't know where I was going. I should ask the same to you." I said.

"Oh… I-I'm Okay. See you later then." She said before walking inside the school. "Again, I'm sorry!"

…Okay… Maybe I'm a little convinced now.

* * *

**-6:50 AM, School grounds-**

Well there's the path behind the school's garden… I think. Yeah, maybe I'll just walk here to class. That helps. Well… Since I'm inside the school… No one's around… I think it's time for a go-go chant or something? …Nah, I'm probably having false hope again.

But still, I think I'm convinced after meeting with that girl! Hell if this keeps up, I think I'm gonna be lucky as hell! I can rub it in in Eddie's face if he gets wind of this…

Wait… Am I hearing things? Kinda like running footsteps. No... no, it's the coffee talking... Whatever, let's do this.

"HOO-ga-sa-ka HOO-ga-sa-ka HOO!"

"Get out of the way!" As I heard the yell with the footsteps go closer, I turned around to see another girl vaulting over the wall… Is she landing towards…

"Is that...? Oh Shi— No! Wait! WAIT! STOP!"

The last thing I felt was a couple of knees landing on my chest before landing back first to the ground.

"Sorry about that!" She yelled as she ran. I can only see her running like hell.

…Oh my god this is gonna be crazy-in-a-box with a side order of fries.


	3. How's it Going?

**-7:10 AM, Classroom, Standard POV-**

The classroom was already filled with students. It was the usual stuff when the Teacher's not around. Some chat, some read their notes, some were doing nothing.

"Hey, Raku!" One of the students called.

"Morning, Shuu." Ichijou greeted.

"Did you hear? There's a transfer student coming here!" Shuu said.

"Another student? So far, Chitoge's the only one who transferred this year." Ichijou analyzed.

"Speaking of Chitoge-chan, where is she anyway?" Shuu asked, Mentioning Chitoge's absence. A few moments later, the door opened to reveal a blonde-haired, fair-skinned girl with a pair of aqua-blue eyes.

"Good morning, Darling!" Chitoge greeted at Ichijou, panting after rushing.

"Oh, Good morning." Ichijou greeted. "The teacher isn't here yet, so you can take a breather now." He assured.

"Good. I need a break, from running and from a beansprout like you." Chitoge muttered.

"You're still a gorilla on the inside!" Ichijou sneered, making the two glare at each other.

"Wait… Shuu, didn't you say that there was a transfer student here?" He asked, breaking the glare.

"Another transfer student?" Chitoge asked, curious of the new student.

"Yeah, I don't know why the others swoon so much about it." Shuu added.

"Wait… Did you say transfer student?" Another student stepped in. It was the same girl that bumped Taylor.

"Yeah, Onodera. Why?" Ichijou asked.

"I think I've seen the new person here… He's a foreigner, just like Chitoge-chan." Onodera answered.

"A foreigner?" The rest asked to each other.

* * *

**-7:20 AM, School Grounds, Taylor's POV-**

"Ow… Ow…"

Good God that stung so bad... I think I caught a glimpse of her… She was blonde… has a red ribbon on her head. Yeah, what the hell am I saying this? I'm still on the ground, back-first!

"Come on, Taylor… Get up. Ow…"

There we go… Man, for someone like her, that really packed a punch. Nuts? Check. Breathing? Check. Still intact? Yeah… I think I broke a rib… Nah… I'm good, I'm good. I feel like puking though.

"What time is it?"

After wiping the dirt off my clothes, I checked the time on my watch, just to jolt my senses from what I saw. "Oh crap, I'm already late and on the first day!" I exclaimed. I bolted towards the classroom as fast as I could.

"That's right, Taylor! You have to get knocked out because of two knees to your lungs! Of course, she packed a punch! But what about you? Did you stood back up? No! And to add insult to Injury, You woke up already late on your first day!" I cursed at myself as I rushed to the classroom.

"Shit, I'm not gonna make it at this rate! Do I have to... Yep!" I yelled and reverse-vaulted to the top of the first concrete fence, ran to one of the open windows. It was on the second floor.

…Yeah, maybe I'm just complaining too much. I've got to get my mind out of the gutter.

* * *

**-7:27 AM, Outside of the classroom, Standard POV-**

Taylor slowed down his tracks as he is several steps to the classroom. Despite the sweat on his forehead, he didn't look exhausted despite that running. He wiped his face and fixed himself as he prepares to go to class. He kept talking to himself but he made sure that no one hears it, but him.

"Huh, the halls seemed very quiet than usual… Sure there's class but still, it's pretty quiet." Taylor said as he wandered along the hall. As he gets closer to his classroom, he's having second thoughts about coming here.

"Well… This is it. I mean… this is my chance to back out, but then again, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity." He said, with hesitation in his voice.

"Now that I think about it, I may have another reason to stay here… To show Eddie WHO'S BOSS! **YEAH!**" He yelled, despite the loud voice no one seemed to hear it.

"…Okay, this is getting weird. Normally I'd be yelled by a teacher for making a racket like that."

"Hey, what's this?" He picked up a red ribbon. In a split-second, recognition struck Taylor. "I think this was that girl's ribbon! Yeah! The Blonde one!"

He stopped at the classroom he's assigned to.

"Well… This is it…" He said. The door was locked when he tried to open it. "Locked… Oh, right! Where are my manners?"

_***Knock Knock***_

"No one's answering..."

_***Knock Knock***_

"Yeah, Funny. Come on, whoever's in there. Open up."

_***Knock Knock***_

"_Damn it, What a tease! Let's look at the facts. Yesterday, I got sent to Japan, had a nice place to stay, the folks were nice, so that was a good start. But I stand corrected! Today, I got roughened up by some thugs, met someone cute though, but on the way, I got my lungs slammed by some nut, and at this time I'm late, and now the door's locked! Yeah! Is that all you could throw at me?! Let's add getting shot, stabbed, burned or beaten to a pulp to the list! That helps!" _Taylor complained in his head. He curled his hand into a fist.

"Why I ought to—Okay, I better chill out. It's the first day and everything slides through on the first day… I'm Taylor Miles… I'm 18… Tell where you live… Remember, Taylor. You're a student, Not a Cop." He said to himself, cancelling the punch that was going to land on the door.

_***Knock Knock***_

"Hello? Anyone inside? I'm the new transfer student." Taylor called. The door opened to see a familiar face.

"What the fu—Neighbor Lady?!"

"_Huh, At least someone's inside. She must be the teacher, I assume?"_ Taylor thought to himself.

"Oh, you're the new transfer student? My, who knew you'd be in my class! We were just talking about you. Come in, I think they'll be in a surprise." Kyoko said.

"…Okay."

Taylor entered in the classroom. As he entered, the teacher gave him a piece of chalk. "I think I know what to do…" He said. He wrote his name in English and in Kanji before turning to his would-be classmates.

"_It's him!" _Onodera, Ichijou and Chitoge exclaimed in thought.

"Yeah… How's it going? My name's Taylor Miles. I'm 18 Years old, I'm an American, born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City. I understand and am fluent in Japanese. Hope we can be friends, All right?" He introduced. There was a short pause. He didn't expect the reactions he's going to get.

_***KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!***_

The girls squealed to Taylor's surprise.

"Taylor-san's so cute!"

"Look at that body! What a hunk!"

"That smile! Oh my, I think I'm going to faint!"

"Sit with me, Taylor-sama!"

The teacher chuckled and smiled as she saw their reactions to Taylor. "I think you're going to like it here, Taylor-kun." She said.

"Yeah… I think I can, Neighbor lady." Taylor said as he chuckled nervously. _"Funny, I never thought I'd be this popular to the ladies. And boy do I deserve it. That's right cheerleaders from High school, y'all can take a hike!" _He thought.

Chitoge sprang up from her seat. "Wait! You're the transfer student?!" She asked, giving Taylor some heated attention.

"_Ah, Jesus Christ, here we go."_

"Yeah, Me, Myself, I, _Moi_. Yours truly. God, do I have to spell it out? Surprised you recognized after I lost a rib." Taylor answered.

"Didn't I say I'm sorry to you?!" She asked.

"Yeah, I heard. Chill, will you? It's all right, you might have been late for school." Taylor said, accepting Chitoge's apology. In turn, Chitoge was surprised.

"Oh… Okay…"

"You _**WERE**_ running late for class, right?" He asked, feeling unsure if Chitoge was late or not.

"I-I was running late for class! Yeah, that's it!" She stammered.

"Boy, you and me both. I had to climb a window for that." He chuckled. "Oh yeah. This is yours, I believe?" He asked as he showed the ribbon.

Chitoge pats her head as she realized that the ribbon wasn't on. "How did you get that?!" She asked, frustrated as she snatched the ribbon from his hand.

"It was on the door, man. Chill the hell out." He answered.

Kyoko stepped in. "Erm… Just take the seat at the back, Miles." She instructed. He followed and walked at the back of the class as Chitoge stepped aside. Taylor spoke as he didn't hear a word of thanks from Chitoge.

"Yeah, You're welcome!"

* * *

**-10:30 AM, Classroom-**

Taylor, like the rest of the class writes down notes from the board. He didn't have any trouble understanding Japanese. Onodera's notebook was with him when he started to write.

"_Man… I feel kinda bad for this Onodera kid… I might as well copy my notes to this notebook. Kid might need it." _Taylor thought. As he finished copying what's on the board, he started to copy it to Onodera's notebook. Meanwhile, she was preparing to take down notes.

"_Wait… Where's my notebook?!" _Onodera thought as she looked from her bag. _"It's gone! My notebook's gone! Oh… That's what I get for rushing back home!" _She sighed.

* * *

**-12:00 NN, Classroom, Breaktime-**

While eating the main course, Taylor, alone, opened up some biscuits and coffee from a tumbler. For company, he reads a book about forensics. As he enjoys his lunch, Shuu sprang up to his side.

"Hey, Taylor-Kun!" Shuu greeted.

"Heeeeey… what's up um… Who are you again?" Taylor greeted back.

"My name's Shuu. Shuu Maiko." He introduced himself.

"Okay, Shuu. What's crackin'?"

"Just wanted to ask if we can join you." Shuu said. He noticed Onodera's notebook on top of his table. "Oh, I see you found Kosaki's notebook!"

"Kosaki? As in Onodera Kosaki? Hold the phone for a minute there, Shuu. Do you know her?" Taylor asked.

"I'm a friend of Kosaki-chan! Want me to call her?" Shuu asked, with an excited look on his face.

"No, don't. I got it. Call your friends and give me a minute." Taylor said. He arranged four tables and prepared some seats. A minute later, Shuu went back. With him were Onodera, Ichijou and Chitoge.

"Well… The young master, the free-runner, and the cute girl." Taylor muttered as they sat with him. A moment later, He stared at Onodera, remembering that the two bumped to each other.

"Hey, you're Onodera Kosaki, Right?" Taylor asked.

"Y-yes…" She nodded.

"Then this must be yours?" Taylor said as he placed the notebook on the table. "That's your name there, right?" He added.

Onodera was surprised when he gave her the notebook. "Oh… Thank you, Miles-san! Where did you find it?" She asked.

"It was on the front gate of my apartment. It must have fell out of your bag." Taylor answered.

Onodera was surprised when she opened her notebook. It was still intact, and today's lessons were written with thorough details. "Y-you copied the notes for me?" She asked.

"Thought you might need it… Drew some diagrams to the sides… stock knowledge…" Taylor said, shrugging.

"It's really thorough, and thoughtful of you, Miles-San… Thank you." Onodera said as she appreciated Taylor's efforts.

"Please… Just "Taylor" will do, Onodera-chan. You can drop the honorifics." He said after chuckling from Onodera's courtesy.

"Okay… Taylor…"

"And… What are your names?" Taylor asked, pointing to the two.

"Ichijou Raku."

"Chitoge Kirisaki."

To Taylor's surprise, he dropped his book and gagged at his coffee as he turns away. _"These two were in the police report?!__** THESE TWO?!**__ But they're kids! __**THEY'RE KIDS, CHARLES!**__" _He thought. Ichijou patted his back.

"T-Taylor! Are you all right?" Onodera asked.

"Yeah… Throat's just acted up." Taylor assured. He spent a couple of seconds coughing.

"So… Time to know each other, I guess?" He started.

"Well… fine. I'm Half-Japanese from my Mom's side and Half-American on my Dad's side." Chitoge started.

"Oh, what do your parents do?" He asked.

"Well… business. Anyway, I came to Tokyo a few weeks ago." She answered.

"Uh-huh… And you?" Taylor asked, pointing at Ichijou.

"Just a simple way of living and… Well… we're dating!" Ichijou said, quickly grabbing Chitoge's hand.

"Oh yeah! I forgot! Darling and I were dating!" Chitoge exclaimed, chuckling nervously.

"Yeah, can't last a day without my honey!" Ichijou said.

"Dating, huh?" Taylor guessed.

"Yeah. I guess you can say that." Ichijou answered.

"Guess?" Taylor asked, dumbfounded. "You two don't have to play it off like that. That relationship's not gonna last long y'know." Taylor said.

"It's still going." Chitoge assured.

"Wha? Are you serious? This?! Still up?!" Taylor stammered.

"I've seen crappy relationships, but… Wow, man! Just… wow. Bravo to the two of you." Taylor exclaimed, slowly clapping his hands. Another girl stepped in the conversation. She was petite, long haired and has glasses. It was borderline geek.

"Kosaki, is this the new guy?" She asked.

"Ah! Yeah, Ruri. He is. His name's Taylor Miles." Onodera introduced.

"Hey, how's it going?" He greeted to Ruri.

"Fine, Thanks."

A few minutes later, Chitoge noticed the book that Taylor was reading.

"Forensics, Taylor?" She asked.

"Yeah… I've really got interest in this kind of stuff. Forensics, first aid…" He said. "Demolition Chemistry… Theoretical Physics…" He Muttered.

"_Pfft. Yeah right. Theoretical Physics… like who am I supposed to be? Gordon Freeman?"_

"So… Taylor. Mind telling us about yourself?" Onodera asked.

"Sure, why not? I'm from Brooklyn, New York. I'm 18 years old. My Dad's a fireman, my mom's with EMT." Taylor introduced.

"EMT?"

"Emergency Medical Team. To put it simply, my Mom's a Paramedic. I have a brother deployed overseas. He's in Iraq." He added.

"Oh, so you're going to serve in the army as well after graduation?" Chitoge asked.

"_Okay… Keep cool, Taylor…"_

"Um… Could be possible… There's the army… but then I could join the Air force and pilot an F-14… I mean it's nice to serve my country and all… but I could go to college, or work to get some money and join the police." He said.

"_Okay… that was nice. This boy is maybe a cop or a soldier in the making." _Chitoge thought.

"Look, about that thing where I kneed you in the chest…" She spoke.

"It's cool. I really don't mind." Taylor assured.

"You're a nice guy. Unlike this bean sprout." Chitoge complemented before shifting her eyes on Ichijou.

"I've heard that!" He defended.

"Yeah, see? You didn't play that one off. Still, I'm _**REALLY**_ surprised that your relationship lasted this long." Taylor smirked.

"So, what did you do in New York, Taylor-kun?" Shuu asked.

"_Ugh… So many questions. You're lucky you've got two-three cuties." _Taylor thought.

"Um… I'm a High school student. Supposedly I got high grades, they had to put me to a transfer program here." He answered.

"Besides that, Taylor? Any hobbies?" Ichijou asked.

"Um… Parkour and MMA."

"Oh, that explains the build." Shuu said.

"Yeah, you might see me running around and backflipping on your front door or your rooftop." Taylor joked.

"Did you do part-time jobs back in New York?" Ruri asked.

"Well… before this thing started, Sometimes I'm a volunteer for the Fire Department, and sometimes I help out with the EMT."

The group was surprised by Taylor. Onodera was supposed to speak first. "What? So you've…"

"Handled a hose and put down fires in burning buildings? Yeah, Onodera." Taylor finished her sentence.

"And you've actually saved a few lives back then?" Chitoge asked.

"Some were even on-the-spot, but yeah." Taylor answered.

"Wow, Taylor! Just… Wow! How did you manage all that?!" Shuu asked.

"I have my ways. And I make my schedule really flexible. Besides, since I was young, I was able to carry my own weight. I think I still have the uniforms they gave me. Even though I said no, they kept insisting I deserve it. I'm doing things like that, and I'm only 18." Taylor answered.

"Aren't you proud of that? Helping people?" Onodera asked.

"Yeah, I am… But the point is that I really like to be humble about it. Besides you know what happens when the fame gets into one's head really fast if they let it do so, right?" He added. No one questioned his reason, for somewhat it made some sense.

"How did your parents react when you were going to be sent to Japan?" Onodera asked.

"Well… A few arguments here and there. But it'll be really nice if I could make a good impression out of this." He answered. His phone buzzed as it received a call.

"_Speaking of good impression… It's Eddie."_ Taylor thought, smirking.

"Who is it?" Chitoge asked.

"Just a friend of mine from Brooklyn. You might want to cover your ears." He said.

"_**TAYLOR MILES! I'M GOING TO MURDER YOU IN YOUR SLEEP WHEN I GET THERE, YOU LUCKY BASTARD!"**_

The rest were startled, while Taylor laughed. "Get well soon, Eddie! And one more thing though." He said.

"_What's that?"_

"Jealous?!" Taylor answered, trying to contain his laughter.

"_**TAYLOR!"**_

"Ahhh…. Best friends." He said, smirking as he ended the call.

"Sounds like someone's jealous." Shuu smirked.

"If it wasn't for that stunt, he would have been with me, enjoying the talk, getting eye-balled at by girls, enjoying this little piece of heaven…" Taylor said.

"What happened to him anyway?" Ichijou asked.

"_Okay… Eddie, if you're hearing this, I'll cover your sorry ass but you owe me." _Taylor thought, planning to cover Eddie's gunshot injury with one of his stunts.

"Well… It went like this..."

* * *

**-1:00 PM, Central Park – Approximately one year ago-**

Eddie and Taylor, who were off-duty at that time (He did not mentioned that they were Off-duty in his story), were having a usual workout. Taylor was doing parkour, while Eddie was skating.

"Come on, Taylor! You gotta try doing stunts with a skateboard sometimes!" Eddie called.

"I'd rather jump from rooftop to rooftop with my own hands and feet, thanks, Eddie!" Taylor said.

"Don't be such a stick in the mud, man!" Eddie persuaded.

"Who's a stick in the mud?! I'm fine vaulting around places!" Taylor yelled, throwing a pebble to Eddie's temple.

* * *

"_I could use the exercise that time. Then he tried to handstand on his skateboard down at Central Park…"_

* * *

"Hey, Taylor! Watch this!" Eddie called his attention.

Taylor looked at him, who was doing a handstand in a skateboard. "Eddie, I don't think that's such a great idea!" He warned.

"Pfft. Yeah, right! Look at this trick!"

* * *

_"Well, what happened next?" Chitoge asked._

"_He tried to slide a rail on a flight of stairs… well the rest was pretty ugly." Taylor answered._

* * *

As Eddie slid down the stairs, he went off-balance and broke a rib, leg, and finally his groin.

"AAAH! AAAAAAH! Son of a bitch that hurts! My Nuts! My nuts!" Eddie cursed.

"I told you you'd regret it!" Taylor exclaimed, laughing.

* * *

**-Present time-**

"Yeah… he got hit right down the middle."

Taylor looked down to prove his point. "Oh, God! There too?!" Ichijou exclaimed.

"Yeah, it was pretty scrambled…" Taylor answered. After a moment's pause, he and Shuu laughed because Taylor made a pun.

"HAHA! SCRAMBLED!"

"You really are best friends, huh?" Onodera and Chitoge asked.

"You know how best friends work. They help you after laughing their asses off." Taylor answered. Shuu agreed by high-fiving Taylor.

"Anyway, it's nice to meet you, Taylor. I hope we can be friends." Onodera said.

"That won't be a problem." Taylor assured as they shook hands.

"All right, Guys! Let's dig in!"

* * *

**-2:00 PM, Cooking Class-**

In the midst of cooking a cake, Taylor noticed that Ichijou kept staring at Onodera. He snapped his fingers to snag his attention.

"Yo, Ichijou. Get your head back in the game, man." Taylor called.

"Huh? Oh! Sorry about that, Taylor." Ichijou said as he gets his senses back.

"Dude, you've been staring at Onodera since cooking class started." Taylor said, eventually staring at Onodera and Chitoge.

"I heard that the girls will give their cake to someone they like! Because of that, I can't even think straight!" Ichijou said.

"Well… No wonder the rest of the guys are damn upbeat. I can't blame you. Chitoge and Onodera are really pretty." He added.

"Yeah… I know, right?" Ichijou agreed.

"Tell me, are they this popular in the school?" Taylor asked.

"Well… Onodera was the most popular in the school, until Chitoge came along. But still, they're as popular as usual." Ichijou answered.

He sneered when a couple of guys kept asking Onodera if they can trade cakes with her. _"What are they doing?!" _He thought as he gritted his teeth. Taylor took notice and patted him at the shoulder.

"I got this." He assured. "Hey! Just take it easy and leave her alone, man!" He called.

"Who made you the boss?!" One of the guys asked.

"Just leave her be! Look, you're scaring the girl! Let her choose who she wants to trade cakes with!" He added.

As the two boys looked at Onodera, Taylor fidgets in front of her, signaling her something. She didn't get the hint. Instead, Taylor grabbed a paper pad and a marker and wrote something and showed it to her.

"**Fidget like you're scared, Onodera!"**

She followed and fidgeted like he told. The two apologized and went on with their cooking.

"Thanks, Taylor. I owe you one. But the way she fidgeted was just… Cute!" Ichijou exclaimed.

"Yeah, you're welcome."

Taylor looked at Chitoge, who was dumping a bag of sugar on a cup. "Yeah… Despite her downsides, she's pretty popular… Aaaand eggs are flying from her mixing bowl…" He said, alerting Ichijou.

"What?!" He bolted to Chitoge, snagged her bowl and caught the eggs before it falls to the ground. "That was close! You're beating it too hard!" He exclaimed.

"What the—Would you stop bothering me?!" Chitoge yelled.

"I would if you weren't messing up!" Ichijou exclaimed before going back.

"You might want to take it easy on Chitoge for a while… She's new here for a couple of weeks, right?" Taylor said.

"Yeah, but… ugh. She's so irritating!" Ichijou complained.

"She'll be more irritating if you don't take it easy on her. Just calm down next time." Taylor said. Onodera approached the two.

"Is there something wrong, Ichijou-kun?" She called her. Ichijou was drop silent. "Ah! You have some egg on your face." She said as she wiped his face.

"_Onodera touched my face…"_ Ichijou thought, repeating what his mind processed.

"See? You calmed down, that's good… Even though that was somewhat weird and cheesy." Taylor patted her shoulder. They both have a chuckle and went on with cooking, but a scream and a flame burst on Chitoge's table.

"CLEAR THE AREA, CLEAR THE DAMN AREA!" Taylor yelled as he dashed to get the fire extinguisher. "CHITOGE! ONODERA! GET OUT OF THE FLAME!"

They quickly get out of Taylor's way as he extinguishes the fire. "Okay, it's all good now! Can anyone write that down?" He asked.

"Already did it, Taylor." Ruri stepped in.

"Thanks, Ruri!"

"So much for calming down, huh Taylor?" Ichijou asked.

"Oh, can it, Ichijou!"

"Good thing you've experienced these with the Fire Department back in New York." Chitoge said.

"Ehhh?! Taylor was in the Fire Department?!" The class erupted.

"And he helped with Paramedics!" Shuu added.

"WHAT?!"

Taylor cleared up what they said. "Look, I was only a volunteer. I just… know I was going to take on these stuff." He said.

"Still that was pretty cool of you to do stuff like that, Taylor-kun! I'm sure you'll be one of the class' role models." Kyoko praised.

"Gee thanks, Neighbor Lady." Taylor said.

"Neighbor Lady?" The class asked in unison.

"Oh, I almost forgot! Taylor and I are neighbors." Kyoko cleared.

"EHHHH?! SERIOUSLY?!" The class reacted.

"Yes, So? I mean… so I call Kyoko-sensei as "Neighbor Lady." What gives?" Taylor asked.

"Well… It's not everyday someone from our class gets to be Kyoko-sensei's neighbor! Kyoko-sensei, man! Lucky guy!" One of the students exclaimed.

"Oh… I think I know what you guys mean." Taylor said, discreetly looking at Kyoko up and down.

"Yeah… You get it, huh?" Shuu stepped in.

"Mmm-Hmmm… Anyways, what are we gonna do now? Chitoge's stove's gonna need the repairs." Taylor said, going back to the matter at hand, pointing his thumb at a burnt stove.

"I'll do this one. Chitoge, just hand me 40 Grams of sugar!" Ichijou volunteered.

"Two—no! Three cups of flour! No, the vanilla oil comes later on!"

"Shut up! I know what I'm doing!"

Taylor just stood there watching the two haul their behinds to make a single cake. "Hey, is Ichijou… Like this more often?" He asked Shuu and Onodera.

"No. Actually, this is the first time Ichijou isn't full of himself." Shuu answered. Onodera just shook her head.

"Huh… well, in that case…" Taylor rushed for the nearest vending machine and grabbed a couple of ice-cold cans of soda. "This is going to take a while." He handed a can to Shuu and Onodera before guzzling his own can.

"Um… Taylor, what's this for?" Onodera asked before taking a sip.

"Yeah… I kinda want to see how this goes." Taylor answered.

"I want to see it too. I got the popcorn!" Shuu stepped in holding some small bags of popcorn. As they "Enjoy the show" for a few minutes, Taylor spoke.

"I'm… mesmerized."

Shuu, Ruri and Onodera were intrigued by his reaction. "How?" They asked in unison.

"Just look! It's like a lit firecracker chain being torn inside out! Noisy, but fun to watch." Taylor answered. The three looked at Chitoge and Ichijou, getting Taylor's description.

"I think I get it now!" Shuu exclaimed.

The two were noisy, yet fun to watch.

* * *

**-40 Minutes Later-**

"It's done! Kirisaki's Specialty shortcake!" Chitoge announced.

"Is it… A chocolate cake?" Shuu asked.

Taylor was somewhat dumbfounded as he looked at a burnt cake. "Huh… I thought that it's gonna be… well… Truth be told, I don't know what to say." He stammered.

Ichijou looked at Chitoge who was about to burst to tears. As the three took notice, Taylor panicked and gestured a message to the two.

"**DO SOMETHING!"**

"Ah! Raku! Surely you'll eat it, right?! After all it's your girlfriend's cake!" Shuu said, acting in a split-second.

"Uh… I don't know how to put this to you, Ichijou… but he's got a pretty convincing point there. She's your girlfriend, yeah? Taste it." Taylor supported as he patted his hand on him.

"I have five hundred yen if he doesn't taste it…" Shuu whispered.

"You're on." Taylor smirked as he whispered back.

Ichijou looked like he was defusing a bomb that was going to detonate even if he defused it. _"Come on, Ichijou… It can't be that bad…" _He thought to himself. He takes a slice off of the cake and takes a bite."

"It's good!" Ichijou exclaimed, leaving everyone in surprise.

"Wait… Are you serious?" Everyone asked in unison.

"I don't know… Can I take a bite?" Taylor asked.

"Be my guest, Taylor." Chitoge said. Taylor, now in the same expression as Ichijou once had.

"_Oh God, forgive me father for I have sinned." _Taylor thought before taking a bite.

"Huh! I'll be! It really _**IS **_good! A little bit burnt, but still, it's good!" He exclaimed before taking another bite.

"What? Are you serious? Let me have some!" Shuu exclaimed. The rest of the class followed.

"I want some!"

"Let me have some too!"

The rest took a bite as expected.

"It really is good!"

"Why? It's burnt!"

The mixed (yet positive) reactions gave Chitoge a tickle to the heart. She lowered her head and shyly said "Thanks."

"Hey, Chitoge… it doesn't really suit you… the shy thing… I mean." Ichijou muttered.

"SHUT UP!" Chitoge yelled as she punched Ichijou in the face.

* * *

**-4:30 PM, Outside of the classroom-**

Taylor changed into his casual clothing and came to say goodbye to the others. As he approaches the doorway, he sees Onodera near the door.

"Onodera?" He called.

"Ah! Taylor! What are you still doing here?" She asked.

"I was gonna come and say See you later, but… I think I can still help out for a while." He answered.

"Oh, well… We are cleaning up over there, but I think they got it covered." She pointed. "Listen, about Kirisaki… That was sweet of you and Ichijou to help her like that." She praised.

"Ichijou is her boyfriend right? So it's reasonable per se to help her out." Taylor answered.

"Per se? What does that mean?" Onodera asked, dumbfounded.

"It's latin for "Itself"." He explained.

"Oh, well what about you? Why did you help them even if they're dating?"

"Well… I mean, She's new since a couple of weeks and I don't feel very comfortable when she gets low self-esteem. That's just me!" He explained.

"Oh? Why is that?" She asked.

"I don't know… It just doesn't sit right with me. I mean… I had a rough school life too, I just… don't want to see anyone else get put through that. You know what I mean?" He said.

"I think I get the point." Onodera assured, having understanding on Taylor's answer.

"Listen, I think you've got everything covered here. I'm going home, all right?" He said.

"Yeah, we're okay here. See you, Taylor." Onodera said before Taylor left.

* * *

**-9:30 PM, Bedroom – Taylor's Apartment-**

"I'm telling you, Brooke. I'm not messing around. The two in the police report are just teenagers! _**Teenagers!**__" _Taylor emphasized.

"Are you sure? Are you making jokes again?" Capt. Brooke asked.

"When was the last time I made a mistake in a case? I've called their names over and over again and they're still them!" Taylor asked back. The precinct captain paused.

"Huh… good point. Well, since they're teenagers, how are they involved with the gang conflicts with the Triads?" Brooke asked.

"That's what I want to know. They gave little information, but I get the feeling that there's more than meets the eye." Taylor answered.

"So you're going through with this?" Brooke asked.

"I think I kinda like it." Taylor smirked.

"I knew you would. So, what's your plan now?" Brooke asked.

"Gain their trust, know more, find and nail the crooks to the wall." Taylor answered.

"That's you all right." Brooke smirked.

"Still pulling strings on the local police station downtown?" Taylor asked.

"They'll call in a week. A guy named Migisuke will give you a message. In the meantime, just take a couple of days off." Brooke answered.

"All right. Later, Captain."


End file.
